Mad Dogs and Servicemen (TV series episode)
Mad Dogs and Servicemen was the 13th episode of Season 3 of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, also the 61st overall series episode. Written by Linda Bloodworth and Mary Kay Place, and directed by Hy Averback, it first aired on December 10, 1974. Synopsis Radar is bitten by a local dog, and the camp conducts a search to find the pooch so that Radar doesn't have to undergo a series of painful rabies vaccinations. Hawkeye defies Frank to take care of a GI who's suffering from a case of hysterical paralysis. Full episode summary Radar gets bitten by a stray dog which leaves a nasty scratch. Hawkeye becomes concerned when he learns Radar does not know where this dog is and tells him it could cause rabies or dysentery. Wounded arrive and one of the patients, Corporal Travis (Michael O’Keefe), claims paralysis although he doesn't have a scratch on him. Defying Frank's order Travis be shipped to Tokyo as a shell shock case, Hawkeye and Trapper admit him to post-op and telephone Sidney Freedman. Sidney is too busy to come, so he tells Hawkeye to use this therapy for soldiers with combat fatigue. Reluctantly, Hawkeye agrees. Hawkeye denies Travis use of a bedpan, which means he is soiling his sheets throughout the day. Margaret is not happy about this, but Hawkeye tells her Travis's legs work perfectly and he can use the latrine. Likewise, Hawkeye won't let Travis eat delivered food, insisting he walk to the mess tent for his meals. Hawkeye's actions and gruff tone of voice draw stares from the medical staff, but this is how Sidney would have handled it. Radar and Henry have been combing the countryside looking for the dog, but with no luck. They check with Rosie (making her M*A*S*H debut) who tells them some locals just made some “dog stew” out of a local mutt, but the dog had no tags, meaning it wasn't the pooch they are seeking. At a dead end, Henry tells Radar he'll have to start getting rabies shots until the dog is found. As Radar starts his treatments, Travis is starting to make progress, for Frank finds him crawling to the mess tent. He complains to Henry, but Hawkeye and Trapper take this as a sign the therapy is working. They all agree Travis needs to open up about what caused his hysterical paralysis, so Trapper tries talking to him about Boston and the Red Sox. This approach works for Travis reveals how an enemy tank attack killed many of his fellow soldiers. He admits the shock of the attack left him unable to move or fire his weapons, and he starts weeping after branding himself a coward. As Henry gives all Radar's pet animals a clean bill of health, he notices the dog. Trapper and Henry chase the dog, then the dog chases Trapper and Henry. Henry finds the dog has no rabies and tells Radar he'll be OK. Travis is OK, too – he walks into Henry's office to tell the medical staff he is fine. Later Frank explains to Hawkeye and Trapper it's important to keep up to date with medical practices through a medical journal, before revealing the article he's reading is about how much to charge patients. Recurring/Guest cast *Michael O'Keefe as Corporal Richard Travis *Shizuko Hoshi as Rosie *Bobbie Mitchell as Nurse Baker *Arthur Song as Korean Man *Jeff Maxwell as Igor Straminsky Research notes/Fun facts * The title is taken from the song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" by Cole Porter, which was released in 1931. * Michael O'Keefe would appear in another episode "War of Nerves" as a soldier named Tom who had been personally treated by psychiatrist Major Sydney Freedman, who advised Hawkeye on how to treat Corporal Travis over the phone. * "The Wayward Wind" by Gogi Grant, and "Diddy Wah Diddy" by Bo Diddley, were both released in 1956. * First appearance of Rosie and her bar. * Travis remarks on how Ted Williams goes to Korea; Williams went back into the service in May 1952. * Hawkeye says that in Corporal Travis's eyes, he's "just left of Godzilla." The character of Godzilla didn't make its first public appearance until 1954, one year after the end of the Korean war. * This is the second time Hawkeye pulled rank; the first time was in "''The Moose''". * Henry asks Rosie about news from America. She mentions Ike (General Dwight Eisenhower) getting the Republican nomination. Eisenhower would go on to defeat the Democratic, Adlai Stevenson, the Governor of Illionois at the time. McLean and Adlai are real life cousins. McLean even worked for Adlai's election campaign. Category:Season 3 episodes